Provide Learning and Development Services to Civil Service

The Civil Service Learning requirement consists of two (2) Lots, which will cover one for the Senior Civil Service (c. 4000 Civil Servants) and one for the broader Civil Service (c. 440 000 Civil Servants).

Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)

I.2)Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions

I.3)Main activity

I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:

Learning and Development Services.

II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services
Service category No 27: Other services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: Primarily in the UK with some limited requirements overseas.

NUTS code UK

II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)

The notice involves a public contract

II.1.4)Information on framework agreement

II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

Civil Service Learning (CSL) (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Contracting Authority’) is seeking to establish a Contract with two Suppliers to support delivery of its executive learning and development service for the SCS and core curriculum for remaining grades across Central Government. The Civil Service Learning requirement consists of two (2) Lots, which will cover one for the Senior Civil Service (c. 4000 Civil Servants) and one for the broader Civil Service (c. 440 000 Civil Servants).
Successful Suppliers shall provide the following services immediately on contract award:
— Work with the Contracting Authority, Departments and Professions to set up systems and processes to support the delivery of the Services;
— Work with the Contracting Authority, Departments and Professions to design the curriculum.
— Set up booking and digital interfaces with the Contracting Authority Digital system.____
_ The Suppliers will be responsible for all aspects of supporting and developing blended learning solutions including digital learning and face to face course delivery. A consistently high standard of customer service is required.
In summary, the main service requirements across both lots are as follows:
— Working with the Contracting Authority, Departments and Professions to co-create a core suite of learning interventions, which include a blended range of approaches, which are of high quality and attractively priced so that they attract additional volumes.
— Bite-size and imaginative learning opportunities that work for time-poor clients and clients working remotely in the UK and overseas.
— Flexible pricing offering different levels of contextualisation and different service levels.
— Practically based learning to ensure learning is applied on the job.
— Workplace learning resources including guides, toolkits and other articles.
— Workplace learning resources including digital learning solutions (e.g. podcasts, e-learning, MOOCs or other internet-based video learning, which are accessible via all Departmental systems in the UK and overseas).
— Executive individual and team coaching.
— Accreditation Services.
— Delivery of face to face learning including seminars, master classes.
— Self-assessment, psychometrics and other similar tools.
— Developing the capability of senior leaders to in turn develop the capability of their organisations and teams.
— Customer service, evaluation and administrative requirements.
Suppliers shall be required from the date of contract award to commence design of the programmes together with the development of ways of working, systems and processes i.e. booking and invoicing. Delivery of the courses under this Contract is expected to commence in March 2016 (Activity Commencement Date), subject to the provisions in the Contract. Suppliers shall note that charges under this Contract will not come into effect until the Activity Commencement Date.
A detailed description of the Services that the Supplier shall be required to supply under this Contract are set out in full in the ITT.

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes

II.1.8)Lots

This contract is divided into lots: yes
Tenders may be submitted for one or more lots

II.1.9)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:

This Procurement is being managed and facilitated by Crown Commercial Service (CCS) (referred to as the Agent). The Agent is acting on behalf of the Contracting Authority throughout the procurement process. The Contracts will be between the successful Supplier and the Contracting Authority, not the Agent.
After the Contracts have been awarded, the Agent will manage the strategic and operational contract management activities on behalf of the Contracting Authority.
Lot 1 Senior Civil Service
Provision of a dedicated, executive Learning and Development Service through the UK. This offer will focus on developing leadership skills, meeting the Civil Service’s capability gaps through its senior leaders, and making best use of internal expertise to share knowledge and develop the top 4,000 civil servants.
Lot 2 Core Curriculum
Provision of an end to end fully managed service core curriculum throughout the UK and overseas for all Civil Servants in grades below the Senior Civil Service (AA-G6). This will focus on a suite of core and elective blended learning products which are reliably high quality and address capability gaps.
Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 80 000 000 and 170 000 000 GBP

II.2.2)Information about options

Options: no

II.2.3)Information about renewals

II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Duration in months: 24 (from the award of the contract)

Information about lots

Lot No: 1 Lot title: Civil Service Learning

1)Short description

The Supplier shall provide the SCS core offer which must include:
— A high quality curriculum which includes design and delivery of learning and development solutions and services to support these solutions;
— Developments of four specific areas which have been identified as requiring improvement: leading and managing changes, commercial, project delivery and digital;
— Induction and support for those who are close to promotion, newly promoted and moving up to Director — including specific provision for externally recruited Senior Civil Servants;
— Development of other core leadership and management skills: communication, financial and digital skills; building and leading diverse and inclusive teams; building capability in complex organisations; analysis and use of evidence and expertise; innovation and creative problem-solving in a public sector context;
— Alignment with more specialist development required for the Professions — e.g. Finance, Commercial, Policy etc. — underpinned by an understanding of the business context that Departments and Professions work within.
— Development of tools to help individuals assess their skills and competencies, and to link the outputs of these tools to development goals.

4)Indication about different date for duration of contract or starting/completion

Duration in months: 24 (from the award of the contract)

5)Additional information about lots

The Contract duration is for 2 year(s) however the Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the duration of this Contract for a period of up to 1 and a further period of up to 1 year.

Lot No: 2 Lot title: Core Curriculum

1)Short description

The Supplier of Contract 2 shall provide the core leadership and management curriculum which must include:
— Induction and continual support for newly promoted and externally recruited managers;
— Development of the Civil Service Reform priority: leading and managing change;
— Development of core skills: leadership, building high performing teams, performance management and developing talent;
— Development of core behaviours: responsibility, inclusivity, agility and professionalism, with a specific focus on developing people from a range of diverse backgrounds;

— Development of tools to help individuals assess their skills and competencies, and to link the outputs of these tools to development goals. i.e. 3600feedback.

III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:

No special legal form is required but if a contract is awarded to a consortium, the Contracting Authority may require the consortium to form a legal entity before entering into the contract.

III.1.4)Other particular conditions

The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: no

III.2)Conditions for participation

III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Candidates will be assessed in accordance with Part 4 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006, as amended (implementing Title II, Chapter V11, Section 2 of Directive 2004/18/EC), on the basis of information provided in response to an Invitation to Tender (‘ITT’).
This procurement will be managed electronically via the Crown Commercial Service’s e-Sourcing Suite. To participate in this procurement, participants must first be registered on the e-Sourcing Suite.
If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Suite, this can be done online at https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk by following the link ‘Register for CCS eSourcing’. Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. Full instructions for registration and use of the system can be found at http://ccs.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/i-am-supplier/respond-tender

Once you have registered on the eSourcing Suite, a registered user can express an interest for a specific procurement. This is done by emailingexpressionofinterest@ccs.gsi.gov.uk.

Your email must clearly state: the name and reference for the procurement (Civil Service Learning Contract RM 3769) you wish to register for; the name of the registered supplier; and the name and contact details for the registered individual sending the email. Crown Commercial Service will process the email and then enable the supplier to access the procurement online via the e-Sourcing Suite. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done.
As a user of the e-Sourcing Suite you will have access to Emptoris email messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you in relation to any specific RFX event. Please note it is your responsibility to access these emails on a regular basis to ensure you have sight of all relevant information.

For technical assistance on use of the e-Sourcing Suite please contact Crown Commercial Service Helpdesk email: eenablement@ccs.gsi.gov.uk

Responses must be published by the date in IV.3.4.

III.2.2)Economic and financial ability

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Candidates will be assessed in accordance with Part 4 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006, as amended (implementing Title II, Chapter V11, Section 2 of Directive 2004/18/EC), on the basis of information provided in response to an ITT.

The Authority will ask suppliers to provide a copy of its audited accounts for the most recent 2 year and/or 1 of
the following in respect to your organisation or guarantor (as the case may be)
(a) a statement of your turnover profit and loss account and cash flow for the most recent year of trading;
(b) a statement of your cash flow forecast for the current year and a bank letter outlining the current cash and
credit position; and/or
(c) an alternative means of demonstrating financial status if trading for less than a year.

III.2.3)Technical capacity

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
Candidates will be assessed in accordance with Section 5 of the Regulations implementing the Directive, on the basis of information provided in response to an ITT. The Agent may take into account the following information:
(a) the following lists:
(i) a list of the principal deliveries effected or the main services provided over at the most the past 3 years, with the sums, dates and recipients, whether public or private, involved. Where necessary in order to ensure an adequate level of competition, contracting authorities may indicate that evidence of relevant supplies or services delivered or performed more than 3 years before will be taken into account:
(b) an indication of the technicians or technical bodies involved, whether or not belonging directly to the economic operators undertaking, especially those responsible for quality control and, in the case of public works contracts, these upon whom the Supplier can call in order to carry out the work.

III.2.1.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:
In relation to the Services to be provided under this Contract, Potential Providers must confirm (in the
Selection Questionnaire which is Attachment 2 of the ITT) if they have, or will have in place, prior to the Activity
Commencement Date, compliance with the Standards set out below (the Standards are set out in Schedule 7 (Standards) in Attachment 4 of the ITT (the Contract).

The requirement is to have, or will have in place, prior to commencement of this Contract an Assurance Management System which will comply with the principles of ISO 9001, ISO1007, I BS25999-1:2006, ISO/IEC 27031:2011, ISO 22301, ISO/IEC 24762:2008, BS EN ISO 14001, ISO 27001, and OHSAS 18001 accreditation or equivalent
In addition to the above Standards, the successful Supplier will be required to comply with the Contracting Authority’s policies which are set out in Schedule 7 (Standards) in Attachment 4 (Contract) of the ITT.

III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts

III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1)Information about a particular profession

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: no

III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service

Legal persons should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service: no

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Type of procedure

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Open

IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

IV.2)Award criteria

IV.2.1)Award criteria

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document

IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used: no

IV.3)Administrative information

IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:

RM3769

IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

no

IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document

IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

5.10.2015 – 14:00

IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up

English.

IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

in days: 120 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders

Date: 5.10.2015 – 14:00

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

VI.3)Additional information

Potential Providers should note that, in accordance with the UK Government’s policies on transparency, the Agent intends to publish the Invitation to Tender (ITT) document and the text of any Contract awarded, subject to possible redactions at the discretion of the Agent. Further information about transparency can be found at: http://ccs.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about—government—procurement—service/transparency—and—accountability/ transparency—procurement.

The Agent expressly reserves the right (i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; and
(ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition; and in no circumstances will the Contracting Authority be liable for any costs incurred by the candidates. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of Potential Providers.
The value provided in Section II.2.1 is only an estimate. The Contracting Authority does not provide any guarantee in respect of the levels or aggregate value of the Services which the Contracting Authority shall require the Supplier to provide during the Contract Period.
In 2014, the government introduced its new Government Security Classifications (GSC) classification scheme to replace the previous Government Protective Marking Scheme (GPMS). A key aspect of this is the reduction in the number of security classifications used. All Potential Providers should make themselves aware of the changes as it may impact on the requirements of this Contract. The link below to the Gov.uk website provides information on the new GSC:

The Authority considers that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) may apply to this Contract on the basis that there is organised grouping of employees dedicated to providing these services under the current arrangements. It is the responsibility of Potential Providers to take their own advice and consider whether TUPE is likely to apply in the particular circumstances and to act accordingly.
For the Authority to conclude a Contract with the Potential Provider, it will be essential for the Potential Provider to meet the requirements of the Cyber Essentials Scheme, introduced in June 2014.
This scheme defines a set of controls which, when properly implemented, provides organisations with basic protection from the most prevalent forms of threat that come from the internet.

From 1.10.2014, suppliers must be compliant with the new Cyber Essentials controls if bidding for government contracts which involve the handling of sensitive and personal information and the provision of certain technical products and services. The easiest way to demonstrate that the Cyber Essentials requirements are met is to gain the Cyber Essentials certificate.
The Cyber Essentials Assurance Framework, leading to the award of Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials
Plus certificates for organisations, has been designed in consultation with SMEs, including the Federation for Small Business, to be ‘light touch’ and achievable at low cost. The two options give organisations a choice over the level of assurance they wish to gain and the cost of doing so. This scheme offers the right balance between providing additional assurance of an organisation’s commitment to implementing cyber security to third parties, while retaining a simple and low cost mechanism for doing so. The need to meet the requirements of the Cyber Essentials Scheme will extend to Sub-Contractors of the Supplier where such Sub-Contractors are involved, on behalf of the Supplier, in the handling of sensitive and personal information and the provision of certain technical products and services. The Supplier and any Sub-Contractors will need to renew their evidence of Cyber Essentials compliance at least annually. Please refer to the ITT and its attachments for further information relating to Cyber Essentials.

VI.4)Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures

VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: There is no right of appeal in this procurement. If you have a complaint or seek to challenge the outcome, please follow the guidance on procedure contained in the previous section.

VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained